Method of controlling digital image processing apparatus, medium for recording the method, and digital image processing apparatus operating according to the method

ABSTRACT

Provided are a method of controlling a digital image processing apparatus, and a digital image processing apparatus operating according to the method. The method includes receiving a menu content selection signal, generating meta data corresponding to the menu content selection signal, selecting menu content corresponding to the meta data, and displaying the selected menu content.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.10-2008-0077050, filed on Aug. 6, 2008, in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a method of controlling a digital imageprocessing apparatus that supports various modes, and a digital imageprocessing apparatus operating according to the method.

Digital image processing apparatuses supporting various shooting modes,e.g., a face recognition mode, a night-view mode, and a close-up mode,have been developed. In addition, digital image processing apparatusesfurther having various functions, e.g., personal digital assistant (PDA)functions and MPEG1 Layer 3 (MP3) functions, are also known

In a digital image processing apparatus supporting various functions,each of the functions is executed by selecting a mode correspondingthereto. In this case, a plurality of user interfaces (UIs) forcontrolling the functions that are to be executed, are displayed.However, the UIs are displayed in a manner in which a manufacturerinitially stored them. Furthermore, menu content, such as a backgroundimage, is displayed as a default, and is not based on demands orconvenience of users.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a method of controlling a digital imageprocessing apparatus capable of applying various menu content based onthe demands or convenience of a user, and a digital image processingapparatus operating according to the method.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided amethod of controlling a digital image processing apparatus, the methodincluding receiving a menu content selection signal; generating metadata corresponding to the menu content selection signal; selecting menucontent corresponding to the meta data; and displaying the selected menucontent.

The menu content corresponding to the meta data may be selected fromamong a plurality of items of menu content being categorized accordingto an age group to which a user belongs. A first menu content selectionsignal may be input when the user belongs to a 10-20 age group, a secondmenu content selection signal may be input when the user belongs to a30-40 age group, and a third menu content selection signal may be inputwhen the user belongs to an age group of 50 or more.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a programfor executing the above method in a digital apparatus.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda digital image processing apparatus including a user interface viawhich a menu content selection signal is input; a meta data generationunit generating meta data corresponding to the menu content selectionsignal; a menu content selection unit selecting menu contentcorresponding to the meta data; and a display unit displaying theselected menu content.

The menu content corresponding to the meta data may be stored in thestorage unit. A plurality of items of menu content may be stored in thestorage unit.

The menu content selection signal may be categorized according to an agegroup to which the user belongs, and the items of menu content may alsobe categorized according to an age group to which the user belongs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the present inventionwill become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodimentsthereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital image processing apparatusaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a digital signal processor included in thedigital image processing apparatus of FIG. 1, according to an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a digitalimage processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIGS. 4 through 7 are pictorial diagrams illustrating an operatingscreen of a digital camera that operates according to the method of FIG.3, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of a digital image processing apparatus according to thepresent invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1and 2. In the current embodiment, a digital camera is exemplified as adigital image processing apparatus.

Referring to FIG. 1, the digital camera includes an optical unit 10, anoptical driving unit 11, an imaging device 20, a signal processor 30, auser interface 40, a buffer memory 50, a storage unit 60, a recordingdevice 70, a digital appliance interface (I/F) 80, a display unit 90 anda digital signal processor (DSP) 100.

In detail, although not shown in the drawings, the optical unit 10 mayinclude a lens focusing an optical signal, a diaphragm controlling theamount of light of the optical signal, a shutter controlling input ofthe optical signal, and so on.

The lens includes a zoom lens that increases or reduces a viewing angleaccording to a focal length, and a focus lens that brings a subject intofocus. These lenses may be manufactured to be separated from each otherbut may be manufactured to form an array of lenses together.

The shutter may not only protect the imaging device 20 from light butalso close and open to control the amount of exposure of the imagingdevice 20 to light. An amount of time during which the shutter opens isreferred to as shutter speed, which is closely related to exposure ofthe imaging device 20. Examples of the shutter include a lens shutter, afocal plane shutter, a Thornton shutter, a light value shutter, etc.

The diaphragm is an aperture formed using five or six thin metal wings.In the diaphragm, driving of the metal wings is controlled to adjust theamount of light to pass through the diaphragm. The amount of light topass through the diaphragm varies according to the size of the aperture,and thus, the amount of light corresponding to the size of the diaphragmmay be calculated by measuring the area of the aperture.

The optical unit 10 is driven by the optical driving unit 11. Theoptical driving unit 11 controls the location of the lens, opening andclosing of the diaphragm, the operation of the shutter, and so on. It ispossible to focus the subject by adjusting the location of the lens, andcontrol the amount of light by opening or closing the diaphragm or theshutter.

The optical signal passing through the optical unit 11 is formed as animage of the subject on a light receiving surface of the imaging device20. The imaging device 20 is a photoelectric conversion unit thatconverts an optical signal into an electrical signal. The imaging device20 may be a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxidesemiconductor image sensor (CIS). The imaging device 20 includes a pairof a vertical transmission channel and a horizontal transmissionchannel, and a plurality of pairs of pixels in the form of a square orrectangular checkerboard. The pixels convert light received via theoptical unit 11 into electric charges, and thus, information regarding asubject may be obtained by collecting information regarding the pixelsaccording to the amount of the electric charges. In the case of anelectronic digital camera, it is possible to control capturing of animage of the subject by discontinuing the supply of power to the imagingdevice 20, instead of using the shutter.

The signal processor 30 removes noise from an analog electrical signalreceived from the imaging device 20 through correlate double sampling(CDS), controls the analog electric signal to have a constant luminancelevel regardless of a change in the amount of light through automaticgain controlling (AGC), and then, converts the automatic gain controlledanalog electric signal into a digital signal by using aanalog-to-digital converter (ADC) (not shown). The signal processor 30converts an analog image signal received from the imaging device 20 intoa digital image signal and then outputs the digital image signal to theDSP 100.

It is possible to receive a control signal from the outside, e.g., auser, via the user interface 40. Although not shown, the user interface40 includes various function buttons, e.g., a release button forexposing the imaging device 20 to light for a predetermined time inorder to generate a shutter-release signal for capturing an image, apower button for generating a control signal for supplying power, a wideangle-zoom button for widening a viewing angle, a telephoto-zoom buttonfor narrowing a viewing angle, a mode selection button for inputtingcharacters or selecting a shooting mode or a play mode, a button forwhite balancing, a button for setting exposure, and so on. The userinterface 40 may include various embodiments, such as a keyboard, atouch pad, a touch screen, or a remote controller, via which user inputcan be received.

In the current embodiment, a menu content selection signal may be inputvia the user interface 40. That is, the menu content selection signalmay be input to select desired menu content from among a plurality ofitems of menu content, via the user interface 40. A user him/herself mayselect one item of menu content from among the plurality of items ofmenu content but information regarding the user, which is related tomenu content that the user desires, may be input in order to select thedesired menu content. For example, an age group to which the userbelongs may be input or selected in order to select menu contentcorresponding to the age group.

The buffer memory 50 may temporarily store an image signal received viathe optical unit 10, the imaging device 20 and the signal processor 30.The buffer memory 50 may be implemented as synchronous dynamic randomaccess memory (SDRAM).

The storage unit 60 stores a program for running the digital camera. Thestorage unit 60 may be implemented as flash memory. In the currentembodiment, the storage unit 60 stores a plurality of items of menucontent, and a program allowing a user to select desired menu contentfrom among the items of menu content.

An image file obtained by compressing the image signal is recorded onthe recording device 70. For example, a still image file or a movingpicture file obtained using a compression method, such as JPEG or MPEG,may be recorded on the recording device 70. The recording device 70 maybe a compact flash (CF) card, a Smartmedia card, Mimiature, a memorystick, a Microdrive, or an I/O click.

The digital camera may be connected to a mobile communication device,such as a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant (PDA), or anexternal digital device, such as a personal computer (PC), a computerserver, and a display device. In this case, desired information istransmitted via the digital appliance I/F 80. The digital appliance I/F80 communicates with a digital device, and may be embodied as auniversal serial bus (USB), RS-232, or IEEE 1394.

The display unit 90 displays an operating state of the digital camera oran image captured by the digital camera. The display unit 90 may includea display controller 91, a data driver 92, a scanning driver 93, and apanel 94. The display controller 91 converts image data received fromthe DSP 100 according to a display method that the panel 94 employs, andoutputs the converted image data to the data driver 92 and the scanningdriver 93. The data driver 92 provides a data signal to the panel 94,and the scanning driver 93 provides a scanning signal to the panel 94.The panel 94 displays an image according to the data signal and thescanning signal. The panel 94 may be embodied as a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), or anelectrophoretic digital display (EDD).

In the current embodiment, the display unit 90 may display a userinterface (UI) via which a user inputs a control signal in order toselect desired menu content, a UI corresponding to the user'sinformation corresponding to the desired menu content, and the items ofmenu content. For example, the display unit 90 may display a first UI ofa customized menu, via which the user inputs a control signal in orderto select the desired menu content. If the user selects the first UI,the display unit 90 may display a second UI via which an age group towhich the user belongs is selected and input. If the age group to whichthe user belongs is selected using the second UI, menu contentcorresponding to the selected age group may be displayed.

The digital camera includes the DSP 100 that performs predeterminedsignal processing in order to improve the quality of input image dataand controls the overall operations of the digital camera. In thecurrent embodiment, the DSP 100 controls desired menu content to beselected and displayed.

The DSP 100 will now be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 2, the DSP 100 includes an image signal processor 110,an encoder/decoder 120, and a central processing unit (CPU) 130. Theimage signal processor 110 performs image signal processing, such asgamma correction, color filter array interpolation, color matrix, colorcorrection, and color enhancement, in order to convert image dataaccording to the human perspective of vision.

The encoder/decoder 120 compresses image data that has beensignal-processed in order to generate an image file that is to be storedin the recording device 70. The encoder/decoder 120 also reconstructsthe image data from the image file, and the reconstructed image data isdisplayed as a predetermined image on the display unit 90.

The CPU 130 includes an arithmetic unit, a register, and a controller.The CPU 130 performs an arithmetic operation according to a programstored in the CPU 130, temporarily stores information for the arithmeticoperation or the result of performing the arithmetic operation in theregister, and allows the controller to control the operations of theelements of the digital camera according to the result of performing thearithmetic operation. For example, the CPU 130 corrects exposure ofreceived image data according to the stored program, determines whethera focal point is moved, and outputs a control signal for driving theoptical driving unit 11 according to the determination result. Also,although not shown in the drawings, the CPU 130 may control the signalprocessor 30 to perform AGC according to the stored program, control atiming signal to be transmitted to the imaging device 20 and the signalprocessor 30, and control the overall operations of the elements of thedigital camera.

Also, the DSP 100 includes a meta data generation unit 140, a menucontent selection unit 150, and a menu content application determinationunit 160 in order for a user to select and apply desired menu content.

If a user inputs the menu content selection signal via the userinterface 40, the meta data generation unit 140 generates meta datacorresponding to the menu content selection signal. The menu contentselection unit 150 selects menu content corresponding to the meta data.Examples of menu content of the digital camera may be a menu screen, aUI, an image display method, and so on. In the image display method, apicture frame screen for decorating or presenting an image may be used.The menu content selected by the menu content selection unit 150 may bedirectly displayed on the display unit 90, but the menu contentapplication determination unit 160 may determine whether to apply theselected menu content in order to prevent inconvenience caused when menucontent should be selected and applied again when the user mistakenlyselects and applies undesired menu content. For example, if the userchecks selected menu content through a preview function and inputs acontrol signal for applying the selected menu content via the userinterface 40, the menu content application determination unit 160 maycontrol the selected menu content to be displayed. If the user inputs acontrol signal not for applying the selected menu content via the userinterface 40, the unit waits for input of another menu content selectionsignal.

A method of controlling a digital image processing apparatus, e.g., adigital camera, according to an embodiment of the present invention willnow be described with reference to FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 3, first, a menu content change mode is executed(operation S11).

A menu content selection signal is received in order to select desiredmenu content from among a plurality of items of menu content (operationS12). A user may select desired menu content by him/herself from amongthe items of menu content, but information regarding the user, whichcorresponds to the desired menu content, may be input in order to selectthe desired menu content. The user's age or an age group to which theuser belongs may be input as the information regarding the user.

Meta data corresponding to the menu content selection signal isgenerated (operation S13). If the user's age or the age group to whichto the user belongs is input, meta data corresponding to the age or agegroup is generated.

Next, menu content corresponding to the meta data is selected from amongthe items of menu content (operation S14).

It is determined whether to apply the selected menu content (operationS15).

If it is determined that the selected menu content is not to be applied,the unit waits for input of another menu content selection signal.Otherwise, if it is determined that the selected menu content is to beapplied, the selected menu content is displayed (operation S16).

For example, a screen inquiring whether to apply the selected menucontent is displayed, and the selected menu content is applied anddisplayed when a user inputs a control signal for applying the selectedmenu content. Otherwise, the unit waits for input of another menucontent selection signal when the user inputs a control signal not forapplying the selected menu content.

An embodiment of the present invention is also a computer readablerecording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing themethod. The computer readable recording medium may be any recordingapparatus capable of storing data that is read by a computer system,e.g., a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a compactdisc (CD)-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storagedevice, and so on. Also, the computer readable recording medium may be acarrier wave that transmits data via the Internet, for example. Thecomputer readable recording medium can be distributed among computersystems that are interconnected through a network, and the presentinvention may be stored and implemented as computer readable code in thedistributed system.

An operating screen of a digital camera that operates according to theabove method of controlling a digital image processing apparatusaccording to an embodiment of the present invention will be describedwith reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.

FIG. 4 illustrates a setting mode screen of the digital camera, viawhich a setting mode is selected and applied from among various settingmodes, e.g., a white balance setting mode for setting white balancing, atime setting mode for setting time, a customized menu for allowing auser to set desired menu content, and a size setting mode for settingsize of an image. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the customized menu may beselected in the setting mode screen. For example, horizontal lines maybe selected using buttons B1 through B6, and vertical lines may beselected using buttons B7 through B14. If a user inputs a selectionsignal by manipulating the button B3, the customized menu allowing theuser to select menu content may be selected.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, if the customized menu is selected, a screen,via which information of the user may be input may be displayed. Indetail, a screen via which the user's age may be input may be displayed.The user may input a selection signal by manipulating the button B2 whenthe user's age belongs to the 10-20 age group, manipulating the buttonB3 when the user's age belongs to the 30-40 age group, and manipulatingthe button B4 when the user's age belongs to an age group of 50 or more.

If the user selects the 10-20 age group by manipulating the button B2,first meta data corresponding to the 10-20 age group may be generated,and first menu content corresponding to the first meta data may beselected. If the user's age belongs to the 10-20 age group, the firstmenu content having a decorative background image and graphic UIs may beapplied. If the user selects the 30-40 age group by manipulating thebutton B5, second meta data corresponding to the 30-40 age group may begenerated and second menu content corresponding to the second meta datamay be selected. The second menu content may be simpler and have largercharacters than the first menu content, in consideration of the userbelonging to the 30-40 age group.

For example, FIG. 6 illustrates the first menu content for the 10-20 agegroup, and FIG. 7 illustrates the second menu content for the 30-40 agegroup. Referring to FIG. 6, a decorative pattern is illustrated as abackground image, and a UI for setting a night-view mode, a close-upmode, a landscape mode, and a portrait mode is displayed graphically.Referring to FIG. 7, a background image is simple, a UI for setting theabove modes is displayed in characters rather than graphically so thatthese modes can be easily identified, and the size of the characters maybe adjusted to be large. Furthermore, the UI may be displayed to belarge so that an image may be captured in the night view mode bymanipulating only at least one of the buttons B8 and B9.

Accordingly, it is possible to easily manipulate and operate a digitalcamera according to a user's characteristics.

Various embodiments of the present invention provides a method ofcontrolling a digital image processing apparatus capable of applying anddisplaying menu content according to a user's characteristics, e.g., theuser's age or an age group to which the user belongs, and a digitalimage processing apparatus operating according to the method.Accordingly, it is possible to increase the user's satisfaction andconvenience by applying menu content that the user desires or thatmatches the user.

The software modules used to implement these embodiments may be storedas program instructions or computer readable codes executable on theprocessor on a computer-readable media such as read-only memory (ROM),random-access memory (RAM), CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks,optical data storage devices, and carrier waves (such as datatransmission through the Internet). The computer readable recordingmedium can also be distributed over network coupled computer systems sothat the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributedfashion. This media can be read by the computer, stored in the memory,and executed by the processor.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference has been made to the preferred embodimentsillustrated in the drawings, and specific language has been used todescribe these embodiments. However, no limitation of the scope of theinvention is intended by this specific language, and the inventionshould be construed to encompass all embodiments that would normallyoccur to one of ordinary skill in the art.

The present invention may be described in terms of functional blockcomponents and various processing steps. Such functional blocks may berealized by any number of hardware and/or software components configuredto perform the specified functions. For example, the present inventionmay employ various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements,processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, and the like, whichmay carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or moremicroprocessors or other control devices. Similarly, where the elementsof the present invention are implemented using software programming orsoftware elements the invention may be implemented with any programmingor scripting language such as C, C++, Java, assembler, or the like, withthe various algorithms being implemented with any combination of datastructures, objects, processes, routines or other programming elements.Furthermore, the present invention could employ any number ofconventional techniques for electronics configuration, signal processingand/or control, data processing and the like. The words “mechanism” and“element” are used broadly and are not limited to mechanical or physicalembodiments, but can include software routines in conjunction withprocessors, etc.

The particular implementations shown and described herein areillustrative examples of the invention and are not intended to otherwiselimit the scope of the invention in any way. For the sake of brevity,conventional electronics, control systems, software development andother functional aspects of the systems (and components of theindividual operating components of the systems) may not be described indetail. Furthermore, the connecting lines, or connectors shown in thevarious figures presented are intended to represent exemplary functionalrelationships and/or physical or logical couplings between the variouselements. It should be noted that many alternative or additionalfunctional relationships, physical connections or logical connectionsmay be present in a practical device. Moreover, no item or component isessential to the practice of the invention unless the element isspecifically described as “essential” or “critical”.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural. Furthermore, recitation of ranges of values herein are merelyintended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually toeach separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicatedherein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specificationas if it were individually recited herein. Finally, the steps of allmethods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.Numerous modifications and adaptations will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in this art without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of controlling a digital imageprocessing apparatus, the method comprising: receiving a menu contentdisplay style selection signal according to an age group to which a userbelongs; generating meta data corresponding to the menu content displaystyle selection signal; selecting a menu content display stylecorresponding to the meta data; and displaying a menu content in themenu content display style selected according to the age group to whichthe user belongs.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu contentdisplay style corresponding to the meta data is selected from among aplurality of menu content display styles categorized according to theage group to which the user belongs.
 3. The method of claim 2, whereinthe plurality of menu content display styles comprise: a first menucontent display style for a first age group; and a second menu contentdisplay style for an age group which is younger than the first agegroup.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first menu content displaystyle comprises a first character font, and the second menu contentdisplay style comprises a second character font which is smaller thanthe first character font.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the firstmenu content display style comprises a smaller number of colors orfigures than the second menu content display style.
 6. A non-transitorycomputer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program forexecuting a method of controlling a digital image processing apparatus,the method comprising: receiving a menu content display style selectionsignal according to an age group to which a user belongs; generatingmeta data corresponding to the menu content display style selectionsignal; selecting a menu content display style corresponding to the metadata; and displaying a menu content in the menu content display styleselected according to the age group to which the user belongs.
 7. Adigital image processing apparatus comprising: a user interface viawhich a menu content display style selection signal according to an agegroup to which a user belongs is to be input; a meta data generationunit to generate meta data corresponding to the menu content displaystyle selection signal; a menu content selection unit to select a menucontent display style corresponding to the meta data; and a display unitto display a menu content in the menu content display style selectedaccording to the age group to which the user belongs.
 8. The apparatusof claim 7, further comprising a storage unit to store a plurality ofmenu content display styles.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein: theplurality of menu content display styles are categorized according tothe age group to which the user belongs.
 10. The method of claim 1,wherein the meta data is differently generated according to the receivedmenu content display style selection signal, and the menu contentdisplay style is determined by the generated meta data.